Sleep Training in 9 days. The Chair Method in Action with my 21-months-old.

Method in action:

• Followed the same bedtime routine as the first night and placed her in the crib.
• Moved further away from the crib so she couldn't touch me, but remained in the room.
• Gave verbal reassurance a few times, such as "It's time to sleep," but did not engage further.

Challenges:

• Blabbering and engaging: She talked and tossed her lovey out of the crib, attempting to get me to fetch it. I resisted engaging and kept calm.
• Minor escalation: There was some escalation when I didn't fetch the toy, but no intense crying like the first night.

Progress:

• Self-soothing: She woke up three times but managed to fall back asleep on her own twice.
• Minimal intervention: On the third waking, I only touched her back and offered her the water bottle that was already in the crib. After 10 minutes, she was deeply asleep, and I quietly left the room.
• Improvement in mood: She was in much better spirits during the day, suggesting that the sleep training is starting to work.

Method in action:

• Followed the same bedtime routine but moved further away, positioning myself in the middle of the room.
• Continued using the key phrase, "It's time to sleep," to signal that it’s time to settle down.

Challenges:

• Fetching the bottle: I mistakenly fetched her water bottle when she threw it out, leading her to repeat the action. After realizing this, I stopped fetching, which triggered a meltdown.
• Crying episode: She cried and screamed when I stopped fetching the bottle, but I stayed consistent and reassured her with my key phrase.

Progress:

• Falling asleep: Despite the crying episode, she eventually calmed down, played with her bunny, and fell asleep after about two hours.
• Improved night wakings: She only woke up once during the night, compared to three times previously. I went back to the same spot, gave her the bottle, and she fell back asleep until morning.

Method in action:

• Positioned myself further away in the room and maintained the same key phrase, "It's time to sleep," to signal bedtime.
• No fetching when she threw her water bottle out again, staying consistent.

Challenges:

• Whining for the bottle: She whined after throwing her water bottle but quickly realized I wouldn’t fetch it, so she went back to talking and moving around in her crib.

Progress:

• Slept through the night: After four nights, she finally slept through the night without waking up—a huge success!
• Quick adaptation: It still took her nearly two hours to fall asleep, but she didn't cry, only a bit of whining.
• Previous sleep training helped: Since she had been trained with the Ferber method at 6 months, restarting the chair method at 21 months seemed easier for her body to adjust.

Method in action:

• Continued with the chair method, sitting further away while using the same bedtime routine and key phrases.
• Stayed consistent in not fetching the bottle or engaging with her actions.

Challenges (for others to expect):

• Extinction burst: Typically, around the fourth or fifth night, babies might protest more intensely, as much as the first night or even worse. This is called an extinction burst, and it's a common phase in sleep training. Luckily, we didn’t experience this.

Progress:

• Slept through the night again: She slept through the night for the second time in a row.
• Falling asleep still takes time: It continues to take about the same amount of time for her to settle, but no major disruptions occurred.

Method in action:

• I sat as far from the crib as possible, right by the door, while still offering occasional verbal reassurance when needed.

Challenges:

• Time to fall asleep: It took her 45 minutes to an hour to fall asleep.
• Babbling: She kept babbling and talking, which prolonged the time it took her to settle down.

Progress:

• Third night of uninterrupted sleep: She slept through the night again, making it three nights in a row.
• Happy daytime mood: She’s been in good spirits during the day, adjusting well to the sleep training.

Method in action:

• I moved the chair outside the room, continuing the transition further away from the crib.
• Despite the setup making the move challenging, I stayed consistent with the same bedtime routine and kept verbal reassurance to a minimum.

Challenges:

• Crying at the transition: She cried a lot at first, likely due to the big change of me being outside the room. It took her a few minutes to find her water bottle, which helped her self-soothe.
• Time to fall asleep: It still took her around an hour to fall asleep, with some fussing during that time.
• Night wakings: She woke up twice during the night, which was discouraging after four nights of uninterrupted sleep. This may have been caused by the transition or a possible extinction burst.

Progress:

• Self-soothing: Though she cried initially, she eventually found her water bottle and managed to calm herself without much intervention.

Method in action:

• I stayed just outside the door, continuing the transition but maintaining proximity for reassurance.
• She fell asleep without crying, similar to the previous nights when she settled calmly with her water bottle and bunny.

Challenges:

• Waking once during the night: She woke up at 2:30 a.m., asking for water. I found that she had thrown the bottle out of the crib, so I went in, gave it back to her, and she fell asleep quickly afterward.

Progress:

• Smooth bedtime: She fell asleep calmly without any major issues.
• Gradual transition: I decided to stay at the door again tonight, feeling the full transition to outside the room was a bit too big for her right now.

Method in action:

• Tonight was a beautiful testimony of how well she can self-soothe. I put her to bed, and she was happy and content as I left the room.

Progress:

• Quick to fall asleep: She fell asleep within minutes, completely unbothered by me leaving the room.
• Slept through the night: She stayed asleep all night, showing how much progress we’ve made over the last nine days.

This final night reflects how effective the chair method has been in helping her sleep independently and peacefully.